Everything I Own
by MollyWollyRose
Summary: <html><head></head>Instead of monetary payment, Jacob asks for Leah in exchange for her father's debt. Will Leah survive his ruthless world of sex, drugs, weapons and crime? And will he tell her the real reason behind his life-changing decision? Only time will tell...</html>
1. How The Economy Really Works

**Everything I Own is back on FanFiction! I took down the story to do some reconstruction on it. Since I published it, I like to think my writing skills have become better since then, so I decided to bring it up to date.**

**This is a retelling of the first chapter. Next chapter will be in Jacob's POV.  
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><p><strong>Chapter One: How the Economy Really Works<strong>

**LPOV**

_"Please Leah? Please come home?" _My father's voice sounded through my cell phone. I closed my office door and leaned against my desk.

"Dad?" I asked. He sounded near hysterical. "What's wrong? Just calm down and tell me."

_"I'll explain everything when you get here. Please. I just don't want to be alone." _I tapped my foot in frustration and began to gnaw on my thumbnail, a habit I thought I had kicked back in high school. _"I'll explain everything when you get here."_

"I can't just leave, Dad." I said as gently as I could. A glance at the clock told me the time. "I get off in ten minutes. Can you hold on until then?"

_"I think so, Leah." _A sound in the background caught his attention and I could hear him panicking. There was a knock on the door. A voice shouted something intelligable. _"I mean, no. They're here..."_

"Dad! Do not, under any circumstances, answer that door." I said. "I'm coming home right now." _Assholes aren't going to know what hit them._ I grabbed my purse and briefcase before running out of my office. My assistant stood up when she saw me.

"No time to talk, Lynn. Cancel all appointments for today. There's an emergency at home." I instructed as I pressed the button to the elevator.

"But what about Jonathan Bridges?" She asked, referring to my persnickety client, who had yet to choose a house to suit his picky tastes. And he wasn't making it easy for me to find one for him.

"I'll deal with him later. Just tell him I had an emergency. Let Chloe take him on the tour. All the information is on my desk. I have to go." I jumped into the empty elevator cab and impatiently pushed the close button, willing it to move faster. I glared at the descending numbers with increasing worry, resisting the urge to call my father again. Weary with frustration, I kicked the side of the elevator. Finally, it stopped at the garage floor and I ran to my car nearby.

Backing out carefully, I peeled out of the spot and drove into the street. My home was about a half hour away. I really needed to get there as quickly as possible. For every minute I waited at a stoplight, my fear would multiply. I was sincerely hoping that Dad wasn't having another breakdown. After my mother had died after a long battle with cancer, the doctor warned me to keep an eye on him and make sure he was kept happy and content. My mother was the love of his life for almost all of their lives together, since childhood practically, even conceiving me during their third year in college. But something was severely wrong. My father sounded... Panicked. For whatever reason.

Deciding not to put in a call to Doctor Cullen just yet, I sped down the highway. Cars around me honked angrily as I dodged and moved in and out of lanes. There was a particularly angry man. I gave him a benevolent smile and flashed him the finger. Now was not the time to engage in a full fledged traffic fight.

When I pulled up to my driveway, I immediately noticed a huge, black SUV parked in the space where my car would usually have gone. I parked my car on the street and jumped out of the car, pocketing the handgun my father had given me for protection in the city. Stepping gingerly around the monster-sized car, I gazed inside. The windows seemed to have been tinted with black paint for all I could see inside.

_At least they didn't run over my flowers. _I thought to myself, noticing just how close the colorful blooms were to certain death. I tiptoed up my porch steps as best as I could in my heels. "Dad!" I called out, picking my key out of my pocket and unlocking the front door. For a split second, I froze, preparing myself for what I thought I was going to see. Flattening my over-active imagination, I turned the knob and opened the door, keeping one hand on my gun the entire time.

The foyer was as normal and neat as I'd left it this morning. Yesterday's mail was still piled on the small table. Our coats were still on the rack. I opened the closet door and inspected it. Nothing was out of order. Out of force of habit, I took off my jacket and tossed it in the general direction of the coat rack. The gun was still tight in my hand, ready to disarm the safety and shoot if I had to. My reflection in the foyer wall mirror made me jump, but I regained my composure. Nervously, I pushed a strand of hair from my face.

The house was quiet... Too quiet.

"DAD!" I called again, peering up the stairs. There were no lights on from what I could see, but the silence was maddening. A figure walked out towards me from the living room. I screamed. Not that I'm a screamer, but at that moment, my nerves were sliced to pieces. I put down the gun and sighed in relief when I saw that it was only my Dad.

"Jesus, Daddy." I said, my voice breathier than usual. "You scared the shit out of me." I waited for him to berate me for my language the way he usually did if I let one slip.

The lecture I was waiting for never came...

"Dad." I asked, my voice serious as I took in his pale face. "Are you okay? What's going on?" I stepped forward as he did and froze when I caught the sight of a glint of metal piercing his upper back. Working hard through leaden limbs and a hard lump in my throat, I reached behind me slowly and clutched the gun in my pocket, pulling it out quickly and aiming it at the general area near the assailant's head.

"You might not want to do that..." A voice sounded from my left, in the direction of the kitchen. The gun in my hand still aimed at the man holding my father, I turned slightly to look at my own assailant. I felt the cold metal of a gun near my own head. A man was near me, his face impassive yet, stern, glaring down at me with no mercy. He wasn't the one who had spoken, yet he was blocking my ability to see who had. I realized with dread that there were probably more men in this house than I thought before. I took a deep, quiet breath, focusing.

"Who are you?" I said, trying to glance around the man into the kitchen. "Come out and... face me like a man!" I shouted with courage I did not feel, wincing at how crazy that sounded. It showed when my voice trembled slightly. With baited breath, I watched as a large man stomped imperiously from my kitchen and stood in front of me.

Now, under any other circumstances, I probably would have thought this man was gorgeous and would have begun flirting with him immediately. Well, he _was_ gorgeous, but I was sure as hell not going to be flirting with him anytime soon. He had soft-looking, inky black hair, clear, reddish-brown skin, strong looking arms and a wide expanse of muscled chest. He had on an immaculately tailored dark suit and smelled of expensive cologne. In other words, he wasn't your usual robber. He was something much more sinister.

"As I said before..." He continued in that silky, panty dropping voice. "You really don't want to do that." My hands shook slightly as he gazed at the gun in my hand.

"And as _I_ said before, who the fuck are you?" I growled, false bravery and adrenalin the only thing keeping me upright, despite my badly shaking knees. He gazed at me a little longer and then his lips curled upward in a menacing smirk, showing off straight, white, healthy teeth. Refusing to let my guard down, I kept my eyes firmly on his, the heat of his gaze keeping me helplessly frozen. He was the first to look away, and I sighed softly in relief.

"We can talk shortly. In fact, we'd been waiting for you to arrive. Weren't we, Harry?" My father stayed silent, looking scared to death and paler that ever. I thought about his delicate health and cocked my gun, forcing all attention on me once again.

"You leave him alone." I said, my voice dangerously low. "What is your business here?"

"All in good time, Leah." He said, drawing out my name slowly, letting his tongue caress the word like a prayer. "Now put the gun down."

"How do I know you're not going to kill us?" I asked.

"You have something I want." He didn't miss a beat. "We won't do anything unless provoked. I give you my word. Now put the gun down."

I didn't want to lower my gun at all. His eyes burned into mine, willing me to submission, but I stood strong. My father finally spoke up.

"Leah. Put the gun down." Dad said, leaning on the doorway of the living room. Even still, I didn't feel safe.

"Not until they put their guns away." I bargained, taking care to keep my attention on my father and not on the unknown man's deep brown eyes. I saw him nod his head slightly and the guns disappeared quickly as if they hadn't been there at all. Dad sagged in relief and walked toward me, leaning for support. With a sigh, I put the gun into my pocket and led him to the living room so he could rest on the black leather couch. The two henchmen stood quietly and menacingly behind the chair, giving me a sobering glimpse at our precarious position at the moment.

"Leah..." He said hesitantly. "I need my medicine." I nodded and checked the time, making a move to go upstairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" A bodyguard said, stepping forward menacingly. Automatically, I took a step backwards and laid a hand against the reassuring weight of the gun.

"My father needs his medicine, asshole." I shot back, watching with grim satisfaction when he scowled heavily.

"Hey!" His voice cracked heavily through the tense silence of the room. The bodyguard stepped backwards as the man in the suit approached me and put a hand on my arm. "I'll go with her." With a glance at my stricken face, he smirked again. "Can't have you calling the police or trying to escape, can we?"

"Of course not." I spat, hating how warm my arm was becoming in his grip. Shaking him off roughly, I side-stepped him and stood a safe distance away. My arm felt instantly cool and my skin tingled with the loss of contact. With an innate grace and speed I couldn't comprehend, he followed me.

"Watch him." He ordered his bodyguards, a silent warning at me not to try anything funny. I sent him a withering glare and started for the stairs. "Ladies first."

"I'd rather you went first." I said, not wanting him behind my back and out of my sight. Apparently, he'd had the same thought.

"And risk you trying something behind my back?" He asked, then answered his own question. "Hell no. Walk." There was another tense silence as I stared him down. Suddenly realizing the futility of acting like a brat, I sighed in defeat and forced myself to move up the stairs. Even though I was wearing heels, I made it a point to move as quickly as I could up the stairs, conscious of the heat of his breath on my shoulders. As I turned toward my room, he grabbed my elbow again, pulling me against his chest.

"Where are you going?" He whispered, his minty breath swirling around my head. "Your father's room is in the opposite direction." I struggled in his arms, finally shaking him off and bumping against the railing. I backed away from him slowly, trapped against the banister. His arms snaked around me to clutch the railing. "Well...?"

"I keep his medicine in my bathroom." I whispered, angling myself away from him as he leaned in closer. I leaned a little too far back and grabbed his arm as a reflex. "And how do you know where my room is?"

"I looked around before you got here. And why is it that you keep his medicine there?" He asked, perfectly cool as I felt my body go into turmoil at his proximity. I felt my anger surge at the thought of him anywhere near my bedroom and my personal belongings.

"Because I just do." I retorted nastily, my voice a little strained as he moved in impossibly close. In order to avoid falling to the first floor below me, I stopped moving back, choosing to avert my eyes and strain away from him as much as I could. I lifted my elbow, pushing ineffectually at him. "Let me go, asshole."

He glared at me for an indistinguishable amount of time. Time seemed to stand still as I waited for him to do something, anything. "You know, not many men will even think of speaking to me like you are right now."

"Then you must associate with very cowardly people because I speak my mind regardless of who is on the receiving end of my words." I growled angrily, feeling my cheeks heat up as I stood straight and glared. "I won't let you or anyone else bully me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He conceded, smirking a little. "Makes this more interesting."

"Glad I could be of service." I gave a mock bow and ducked under his arm to move to my bedroom. I threw open the door, tempted to shut and lock the door in his face. Resisting the urge, I glanced around my room slowly. Nothing looked out of place. My bed was still mussed from when I woke up that morning. The lotion on my nightstand had spilled that morning and the stain was more prominent. Every drawer and door was closed. I sighed in relief.

My relief must have been palpable because he curled his lip in disgust. "I'm not a pervert, Clearwater. I didn't raid your panty drawer. What kind of a man do you think I am?"

"You really want me to answer that?" I shrugged and left him standing there while I moved to my bathroom. I grabbed a cup and filled it with water. Then, I picked out the prescription pill bottle and shook out two small capsules, holding them in my palm. I closed the mirrored cabinet door and jumped half a mile at the sight of him directly behind me.

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed, holding a hand over my heart. "What now?" I groaned in exasperation, wishing that he could disappear and I could take a nice, relaxing bath.

He didn't answer, just moved around me and blocked my way out of the bathroom. I stood there expectantly, tapping my foot impatiently. The capsules in my hand were starting to melt a little, so I got another cup to put them in. "Can you move?" I growled, annoyed at the situation.

"How old are you?" He asked, eyes burning into mine.

"Thirty." I answered without hesitation. My age didn't bother me. Like my mother, I believed that every year was a privilege and appreciated that most people would be lucky to even live to be my age. "And I suppose you're not going to tell me anything about you, considering you've broken into my house, ransacked my room, and had your cronies assault me with a gun."

"Jacob Black. Thirty-three. I like sushi, vodka, hot women, and long walks on the beach. And I'd like to point out that you threatened them first."

"I wasn't really going to use it!" I blurted savagely, a bit wierded out that he gave me all that information right off the bat. "And that was unnecessary, _Jacob_." My voice dripped with scorn. "All I wanted was your name. It's not like we're going to see each other after we settle this issue."

"And why is that?"

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we..." I gestured between the two of us. "Don't exactly mix with the same circles."

"So what makes you think that the 'issue' is going to be settled?"

"It depends on what the issue is. No one is telling me anything." I muttered sarcastically, using his distraction to my advantage and stepping around him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure my father gets his medicine." Flashing him a saccharine sweet smile, I walked out of the room, not caring if he followed me or not.

I ran down the stairs, making a bunch of noise to alert my father that I was coming. I passed him the medicine and the cup and moved to stand next to him, sending one of the bodyguards a withering glare. Jacob moved to the chair opposite us, lounging as if he didn't have a care in the world. We sat in silence for an immeasurable amount of time. I shook my leg impatiently while I waited for someone to speak.

"Why are you here?" I blurted, tired of the tension in the room. Mr. Black smirked at my discomfiture and shrugged.

"Why don't you tell her Harry?" He mocked, making me angry. Sending him a death glare, I turned to my father.

"Dad. What's wrong?" He gave me a desperate look and I waited. "Come on. It can't be that bad..." I trailed off as I thought of the men in my house at the moment.

It was a long while before he spoke. "I owe Mr. Black some money..." He began hesitantly.

"Okay. We'll pay it back." I said quickly, thinking of the emergency savings I had in my bank account and the pay raise I had gotten a couple weeks before. I was reluctant to use the hundred thousand I had in there, but this was an emergency if I ever saw one.

"That's going to be impossible, Clearwater." Jacob- I mean- Mr. Black said from his chair. I jumped up and began to pace, walking from the chair to the bookcase and back again. Then I stopped and registered what he had just said.

"And why the hell not?" I snapped. "You should be lucky I'm considering giving you anything at all. I mean, you burst into my damn house and-"

"He owes us almost seven hundred fifty thousand dollars." He cut in. I stopped pacing and whirled around to openly gape at his handsome face.

"This always happens. Em, can you sit her down." One of the bodyguards approached me and guided me to the nearest seat, which just happened to be right next to him. I was so out of it, I didn't even protest. An open flask was thrust into my line of vision and I looked up at him in confusion.

"You look like you need it." Mr. Black said affably. Shrugging, I took the flask and chugged it down, enjoying the warm whiskey making it's way down my throat. I wasn't a drinker, but the stuff did make me feel better. I gulped down the contents of the not-so-small flask, then gave it back to him. I wiped my mouth with the back of my arm and sighed.

"How the hell did that happen?" I asked, rubbing my temples with my fingers, willing my impending stress headache away.

"When they diagnosed your mother with cancer, we started trying out a lot of ineffective and experimental drugs and treatments to stop it from causing a lot of damage. You were still in college and the procedures cost so much..." Dad paused. "We tried everything we could for two years, but eventually, we had used up our savings. By this time, bills for everything were piling up."

"But I got a full scholarship to Stanford, Dad." I said, wanting bitterly to cry, but holding them back until I could weep privately.

"That didn't cover everything, sweetie." He smiled grimly.

"If I had known, I'd have helped you. I had a job." I said desperately.

"But your mother and I wanted you to enjoy your college years." He replied calmly. "Your mother never got to fully enjoy her time at college. She was always working and she became pregnant with you toward the end of her junior year." My mouth dropped open at that. Dad mistook my surprise for something else. "Of course she never regretted having you, but she was determined that you have a better time of it than she did."

"So you didn't tell me about the hidden costs..." I finished for him.

"Yes." He said. "So when she died, the bills had really piled up. And we didn't have two incomes to support it. So I took out a loan and paid them out."

"Our debts came up to seven hundred fifty thousand?" I asked, racking my brain for anything in our simple family life that could have amounted to that sum.

"No. Even though I paid little by little, there's still interest involved."

By this time, I had turned in my chair and was glaring at Mr. Black. "So you took advantage of my father's desperation?" I asked him. "He was grieving and worried and you just let him take out that loan."

"Look, my people had no idea of his circumstances when he signed that contract."

"Your people?" I said. "Oh, that's rich!" I cried.

"Listen, I just want my money. I'm sure we could work out some sort of agreement."

"Yes. And here it is." I said, thanking my lucky stars that my voice was steady. "You're going to subtract the amount of interest that 'your people' imposed on my father, and then I'll pay you back with my own money."

"No."

"What?" I asked dumbly, flinching at the sudden rejection at my sensible sounding plan.

"No, hell no, negative, no can do..."

"I get it." I groaned, wanting to scream in frustration. But why the hell not?"

"Because I told you that you have something I want more." He said, his bold gaze making me feel uncomfortable.

"And what's that?" I implored, hating him more and more while simultaneously desiring him more and more.

"You."

And my heart stopped.

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><p><strong>I may do some tiny edits as I publish chapters, so make sure to look out. And as always, read and review.<strong>


	2. Don't You Want Me?

**HOLA! Happy Mother's Day! You guys are so lucky that I was able to post this. My mom's been at it all day. You see, I promised her that I'd be her slave girl for the day without complaining. It's only noon, and already I've cooked lunch, given her a mani-pedi and facial, gone Christmas ornament (?) shopping, gone to church, driven her to my aunt's house, and cleaned the house from top to bottom.**

**I'm in my room now, pretending to take a nap so she'll leave me alone. It may be mother's day, but I need a break.**

**Just a glimpse at the craziness in my household:**

_**"Get me my water."**_

_**"But madre, it's on the table. In front of you. Three inches from your hand and the remote."**_

_**"Did I ask for your opinion? It's Mother's Day and that means you have to do what I say. When it's Daughters Day, then you have the right to complain."**_

_**"But madre...!"**_

_**"No buts. I'M THE QUEEN TODAY! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now get me my water and the remote while you're at it."**_

_**"Argh!"**_

**Okay, I may have embellished the evil laughter. And I'm an only child, so that makes it even worse. But alas, I do it because I love her crazy ass. Show your appreciation for your mothers today and give them a big hug from the heart!**

**Now, onto the story.  
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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Don't You Want Me?<strong>

**JPOV**

"What did you just say?" Leah Clearwater whispered, glaring at me.

_Yes... What __**did**__ I just say?_

I shoved that crazy thought away as I thought of an answer. Thrown for a loop, I managed to regain my voice and when I spoke, I betrayed nothing.

"I said I want you." She winced, as if hearing the words again was like a slap in the face.

"But why?" She countered, her expressive voice momentarily dead from what I assumed to be shock.

"I need a... companion... of sorts." I said. Thinking about Sorcha, the Russian model I had dismissed from my life a week ago, I sighed. "This constant parade of women in my life is kind of tiring."

"It's not my fault you are an immoral asshole who doesn't know when to stop whoring around." I felt my anger surge at her words. Who did she think she was insulting me like this?

"Listen, Clearwater. You and your father need an out from this debt and I need a female companion. It's a win-win situation for the both of us." I growled, tensing when she stood up to pace the room and glare at me desperately.

"Can't you just... I don't know... Call up one of your model type friends?" She pleaded desperately. "I mean, I know for a fact that I'm probably not going to fit the bill. I'm not tall or a model, or an actress, or a socialite. I'm just a real estate agent. A damn good one, but still."

"Nope. I'm kind of tired of dating and... 'whoring around' the same pool of women." I replied, liking my impromptu idea more and more. If.. No, _when_ Leah said yes, it was going to be an interesting ride. "Besides, I don't think you have much of a choice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"I could have your father arrested. I have a great deal of resources at my hand to make that possible." I gave a mental wince when I said this. I had no such intention, to be truthful. Her father was scared and sick enough as it was. I wasn't going to send him to become someone's bitch in jail.

But she didn't have to know that.

"You wouldn't!" She gasped, casting a quick look at her father, who was staring at me in fright. It was funny to me. Before she even looked over at him, I'd forgotten that there were people in the room.

"Oh. I would... Unless you agreed to this." I fiddled with my cufflink, watching out of the corner of my eye as her resolve wavered. I could see the exact moment she began to weaken. I could tell that we were both strong willed people, but this was one battle of wills I couldn't -wouldn't- lose.

There was a tense silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"How long?" She asked, hands on her hips. To anyone else, she looked cool, businesslike, not at all rattled. But as I gazed deeper into her brown eyes, I could see the slight nervousness there.

"Leah! No!" Harry protested, springing up on the chair where he'd previously slumped in defeat. "Don't you dare sacrifice anything for me. I'm tough. I'll be able to handle going to jail."

"Daddy, no." She said, her face and voice softening. "Your health is just too delicate to deal with all of that. And I'll be damned if I'm losing you too." All at once, I was filled with admiration at her and her courage. It took a great person to do what she was doing for her father. She whirled to look at me, her face hard again. "How long?"

"As long as I need." I stood up as she approached me.

"Hell no."

"You don't really have a choice."

"I'm not going to do that. I have a job and a life."

"I'm not asking you to give up either. But I will require most of your time."

She stayed silent, then spoke. "I'll call up my lawyer and draw up a contract stipulating my terms."

"Correction: _I _will call up my lawyers and draw up a contract stipulating _my_ terms. You aren't going to control this situation." I stood up to face her, towering over her. She bit her lip and shuffled her feet. "Maybe we have this conversation in a more private place?" I asked, glancing around the room.

Leah narrowed her eyes at me before realizing that this wasn't really something she'd want to discuss in front of her father. And I really didn't need Paul and Jared on my case about it.

"I have a home office." She snapped, pushing past me to walk down a hallway. As I followed her, I took in the tasteful, yet cheery blue walls. The kitchen was very home-y, also. Light wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances against a backdrop of sunshine and normalcy. Even though the house was spacious, it had character.

Just like the woman in front of me.

"This way." She said impatiently. Leah shoved open a door and shut it behind me as I walked in. Her home office was more... clinical than I would have imagined it. She had stark white walls, light furniture, and a huge selection of books and movies taking up a shelf which encompassed the entire front wall. There was a window with heavy blinds behind her desk. There was a Apple desktop computer and many files taking up the space on the surface. There were two chairs in front of the desk.

In my head, I compared it to her bedroom, which was almost seductive in comparison. Instead of white, her bedroom walls were a deep red. Instead of light furniture, the bedroom furniture was made with cherry-wood. And her bedclothes were the icing on the cake. A silver comforter gave way to clean black sheets, which I noticed from the state of the bed when I had seen it.

"Is this okay?" She asked. I turned around and nodded, noting the slight blush on her cheeks. It made me wonder what she was doing while I was off in a world filled with red walls, black sheets, and wild sex.

"It's fine." Leah nodded and gestured to a seat in front of the desk next to her. I sat and waited. There was a tense silence before she finally spoke.

"If I agree to this, you have to wipe out my father's debts." She said, with no introduction. I raised a brow and stared. "I'm serious. If I'm going to be... persuaded... into doing this, I want to know that he will be safe from any retribution when this is over."

"Who said I was going to end it?" I asked, kind of stung that she was still talking about this as if it were a job. The strange detachment in her voice all at once infuriated me and made me want to kiss her.

"Well... Aren't you?" She asked, a confused expression clouding her features. "I mean, once the debt is paid in full. We won't have any sort of connection after that and we can go our separate ways."

"I'll end it once I'm tired of you." I said, wincing at how much of an asshole I was acting.

My head snapped to the side as she slapped me as hard as she could. Her palm cracked across my cheek, leaving a stiff silence and a slight burning on my face in it's wake. I knew for a fact that it would leave a mark. Schooling my features so they wouldn't show the slight pain I felt, I glared at her as hard and menacingly as I could. I admired her courage, but that was going way too far. Even as the words effortlessly fell from my lips, I couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth. What was it about her that made my blood boil (in more ways that one), made me say the first insulting thing that came to mind.

"Tired of me?" She fumed. I could see a wave of red overtake her neck and cheeks. "What kind of an asshole are you? If anything, I'll tire of you first."

I jumped up at that point, watching her spring up from her seat in response.

"Listen Clearwater, it's just the way I operate." I defended myself, resisting another urge to rub my cheek. I've dated all kinds of models, actresses, businesswomen, hell, even a couple of princesses. I wined and dined them, bedded them, left them with an expensive bauble and the memory of the best sex of their lives when we parted ways amicably. But for some reason, I couldn't even conjure any of their beautiful faces in my mind.

I doubted I'd ever tire of her. Leah Clearwater was, for lack of a more fitting term, perfect. For me, at least.

She had a perfect body. Not fat, but not completely skinny either. She had soft curves all over her body, the epitome of a woman who ate healthy but indulged every now and again. Well, based on the contents of her refrigerator, which I had rifled through earlier I'd say she indulged a lot. She had naturally lush breasts. I knew that if I were to cup them, they'd be little over a handful. Her tiny waist gave her a nicely proportional hourglass shape, and gave way to curvy hips and thighs, before stopping at her perfectly small feet. Looking at her made me wonder what I ever saw in those geometrically sharp and angular bodies I was usually attracted to.

I had to refocus again.

"And that was unnecessary." I growled. She paled and flinched back slightly.

"I'm... sorry." She forced out. "I don't know what came over me." All I saw was the very top of her head as she bit her lip and averted her eyes. Just being near her made my skin ignite in a blaze of warmth.

"Now listen." I continued. "I'm offering you an easy way out of this situation your father got you into. The least you can do is treat with me with respect." She shivered. I decided to twist the knife. "I hold the fate of your family in my hands. One wrong move and I ruin you faster than you can think. Got that?"

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she nodded jerkily. "Let's just get this over with." She whispered quietly, sitting down again, arms folded demurely in her lap.

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><p><strong>LPOV<strong>

_(one week later)_

_That motherfucking asshole. _I fumed from my seat. An assistant brought me a coffee and nodded deferentially as if I were royalty. But by the looks of Mr. Black's lawyer's office, it looked as if she were used to dealing with royalty. I adjusted my emerald green dress, scowling heavily. He had called me in the middle of a showing with an important client.

Of course my job meant nothing to him. But I finished showing the house and handed in my letter of extended leave this morning. Obviously, everything would be okay without me, but I still didn't like taking time off from work.

"Go." My boss had said, smiling brightly and practically shoving me out of the door. "You work too hard, Clearwater. Can't have my best employee getting burned out."

I had made the necessary protesting noises, almost begging him to be angry so I could stay and have an excuse to not endure this monster's humiliation. But in the end, I smiled as happily as I could as I walked out of the door and right into his clutches.

Well, his lawyer's office. But it was practically the same thing.

I glared at the legal document in front of me as I sipped my coffee. Sighing, I opened it and began to work through the wordy length highlighting his preferences. I was close to giving up until I read the section stipulating the terms of my father's debt, relieved when I saw that it would all be eradicated. I could endure anything if it meant my father was safe.

I was in the middle of reading my 'requirements' when the door flew open. I forced myself to keep my eyes on the paper, knowing by pure instinct that he was in the room.

"Good afternoon." He said politely. I looked up and was startled at the lurch my heart gave at the sight of him. I inclined my head in greeting and kept reading, gripping my pen even harder. His lawyer sat at the head of the table and stayed silent.

"Hello." I replied shortly, closing the document when I was finished reading it.

"Ms. Clearwater. I assume you have read and understood the terms of agreement." The lawyer said in a bored tone, as if he handled cases like this everyday.

"Yes. Although I do ask that you respect my wishes to keep my job." I opened the document and pointed it out. "If you don't mind Mr. Black, I'd prefer to keep this affair purely for show. I really don't want anything more from you to add to the debt. I can assure you that I am not after your money."

I finally looked directly at him and struggled to stay cool under the force of his mesmerizing deep eyes. Almost imperceptibly, his eyes darkened even more so, and I looked away to keep from losing myself.

"Is that all, Leah?" He asked. At this, I blushed, steeling myself for what I was about to say.

"Er... no. There's also the matter of the intimacy, or lack of it, in our arrangement." I added uncomfortably. "Of course I accept that you're a healthy man who is only in his thirties." I rushed on, before I lost all my courage under Mr. Black's steely gaze. "Also, that you will want... er...have needs… But as long as your relationships are kept discreet, I see no reason why they should interfere with our arrangement in the slightest. We will, of course, have separate bedrooms during the duration of my role as a traveling companion and pseudo-girlfriend." I concluded awkwardly.

"Jacob?" His lawyer -Mr. Halliway, I suddenly remembered- asked, turning red from neck to ear from the topic of my discussion.

"Give us a moment." He ordered, never taking his eyes from my own. Mr. Halliway got up, as if on command and scurried away. The moment the door was shut, Mr. Black chose that moment to strike.

"What the hell was that all about?" He raged, leaning across the table towards me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely not knowing. "I thought I was being gracious." Most other ladies would have asked for exclusivity." I added briskly, balking under his harsh scrutiny. What the hell was his problem?

He raised a mocking eyebrow. "And what about your own needs? Do you intend to satisfy them discreetly too?" His voice hardened. He didn't seem at all happy with the thought. I felt a surge of anger at his attitude. It wasn't like he owned me. He had no right to become this emotional.

"Certainly not!" I exclaimed, hating the rush of blood that flooded my cheeks.

Mr. Black frowned a bit, but at least he eased a little and loosened his iron tight fist. He gazed at me curiously, as if he couldn't fully believe what I was telling him. "Then what do you intend doing about them?"

"I don't intend on doing anything about them!" I assured him tartly. "That is not something that interests me in the slightest."

He gave me an incredulous look. Of course. The expert at bed-hopping couldn't comprehend that there were some women in the world who wouldn't respond to sexual advances and could do perfectly well without them.

After all my talk of an arrangement of convenience between us, my insistence that I wouldn't object to him having other relationships as long as he was discreet, I was stunned to find the very idea of Jacob being intimately involved with another woman completely abhorrent. Which was pretty ridiculous when I had absolutely refused to even contemplate the two of us having an intimate relationship. I chalked it up to a refusal of being made a fool of. No one wanted to feel as if they were the victim of an unfaithful relationship, no matter how much of a farce said relationship was.

"I don't understand where this sudden displeasure is coming from..." I said. "I'm not being unreasonable. In fact, I thought you would jump for joy when I told you that I didn't mind. I may not have an interest in... well, you know. But I know you do and would hate for you to do without because of this arrangement. If you feel any sort of need to be monogamous for my sake, it's not necessary." He was silent, still glaring at me. I gave a sharp, humorless laugh. "I hope you didn't expect that we were going to carry on this charade behind closed doors." I laughed again, watching as he rose and went to look out of the window, tension radiating through his every muscle.

He turned towards me and just glared speculatively for a long while.

"Actually, that was precisely what I was expecting."

My jaw dropped at that bombshell and I gasped. He glared at my response unwaveringly, giving nothing away.

"You... You can't be serious!" I exclaimed, pushing my chair back and walking up to him. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"Why should I?" He asked. "I'm not going through all of this just so I can continue what I've been doing for so long."

"But... But I thought that you were... hiring me -don't look at me like that, this is essentially what this is- so I can provide some sort of barrier to the flood of women in your life. If you have a 'girlfriend' at home, then the parade of women throwing themselves at you would eventually disappear."

"Ha!" He laughed, dark amusement in his eyes. "If anything, it makes them even more determined to lure me away. However, if I were to give off the appearance of the doting, satisfied lover..." His eyes roved over my body. "Then maybe it would ebb even more swiftly."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move.

He wanted to sleep with me. Even though I seriously doubted that any nighttime activity with him would involve any type of sleep. In hindsight, I could see where he was making sense, and I cursed myself for being so naive. A man didn't do something like this to become practically celibate.

What I truly couldn't understand was why he was doing this. I knew that my long black hair, clear skin, good teeth, and expressive eyes was considered at least fairly attractive to some men. But of course, I knew I didn't compare to the standard of beauty he was used to. According to the Google search I had done on him, the women he dated were thin, beautiful, successful, and famous. I wasn't any of those things, with a body that could do with a few more workouts at the gym and not rich at all. The only reason I could think of for his behavior was that I presented a sort of challenge in his eyes. Briefly, I wondered if this outcome would have been different if I'd thrown myself at him from the very beginning.

However, it made no sense to dwell at the moment. Not when Jacob Black was standing across from me, calm as a cucumber and unconcerned with my hesitation to sleep with him. I was just hoping that I could convince him otherwise. I was afraid that once I started involving more of myself into this deal, I wouldn't be able to come out of it fully okay. He seemed like the type to take and never give. I didn't want to involve myself with a man like that.

"But... But... I don't like sex?" I blurted, wanting to smash my fist into something because of how gauche that sounded. I pushed my bangs away from my forehead. "I meant, I just don't think that would... I mean, I tried it a couple times before and... I mean... It wasn't that I..." I trailed off, backing away to put some distance between the two of us. "How do you even know that I'd... satisfy you?" I finished lamely, watching as his eyes darkened considerably as they ran over my body. A wave of heat ran over me and in its wake, left me feeling exposed and naked.

"I have no doubt about that, sweetheart. Trust me." He bit out huskily. I looked at him and shivered at the hungry look in his eyes, ignoring the term of endearment that had passed so simply from his lips.

"You do realize that you are essentially paying me for sex?" I said, trying a different tactic of appealing to his sense of male pride. I watched with hope as he recoiled as if the thought hadn't occurred. I decided to lay it on thick. "I'm not a whore, Mr. Black. And I never will be."

"I told you to call me Jacob." He growled out deeply in annoyance. I jumped and nodded, my nerves on edge.

"Well Mr... Jacob, I won't do it." I said, regaining some of my confidence back. "Besides, you may think we'd be... sexually compatible, but I simply don't think that would be possible."

"Why is that?"

"... I've discovered over the years that I'm not really sexually compatible with anyone. Why should that change now?" I said after a short pause. "I believe it's better not to complicate this arrangement anymore than it already is. Besides, I'll have to live the embarrassment if you're not happy when this agreement has run its course."

He stayed silent, still glaring down at me. I sighed and rubbed my arm. "I really think I would be a disappointment to you."

I'd been told by most of my previous sexual partners that I was a disappointment in that area. 'Frigid' was one of the words that they had used, along with 'unresponsive' and 'cold'. It never hurt me because it was something I knew, but it's not exactly the one thing a woman wants to hear about her sexual skills. No matter how attractive I found Jacob Black, for some reason, I did not wish to repeat the experience with him, to see the same impatience and pity in his face when he found out what a disappointment I was in bed. I didn't want him to discover just how inept I was at the physical act.

"You really believe that..." He muttered in awe, looking down at me in amusement. With no warning, he slung an arm around my waist, hurling me closer to him gracefully. He used my shell shock to his advantage as he slid another arm around my waist and pulled me impossibly closer. I tried to wriggle away, realizing the futility of my actions when he wouldn't slacken his formidable grip. I felt impossibly warm in his arms and safe and that scared me. I refused to look him in his eyes, where I'd no doubt see the victory shining there. I shifted my foot and froze when I felt a large bulge poking insistently into my lower stomach. With a startled gasp, I felt him spread his fingers around my lower back and pull me even deeper into his harder-than-steel erection. A wave of warmth shot down to my most private parts, screaming to be touched.

It was such a foreign feeling, I was stunned into silence.

"Not compatible are we?" He asked me mockingly, as he lifted my chin. I put a hand out onto his arm to steady myself. "If you really feel that way, you won't object to a test."

And he lowered his head and kissed me.

* * *

><p><strong>Did I mention that she also wants me to sit through every single Denzel Washington movie she owns?<strong>

**Every. Single. One.**

**Pray for me. I'm gonna need it.  
><strong>


	3. Bury This Town

**First exam today! Wish me luck. I spent the entire weekend in my room with my Cobra Starship playlist and a crap load of fattening snacks, studying and typing.**

**Just two more weeks, just two more weeks...  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Bury This Town<strong>

**LPOV**

As realization exploded inside me, Jacob's head was coming down, closer and closer. Everything went dark as his mouth covered mine, warm and firm and so mind blowing that I couldn't move. It was so shocking that I continued standing there like a statue. Through my mind ran comforting words.

_You won't feel anything. You're cold inside. You don't react to this. You don't crave men…sex…You've proved this to yourself…_

But, as if disconnected from my mind, a radiating heat was taking over, spreading

upwards from a very secret part of me. A core I'd never acknowledged before.

A core that had never been touched like this. Jacob was pulling me closer. Those big hands were still around my waist, spanning it now, fingers digging into soft, yielding flesh. He was warm and firm, and as he brought me flush against his body I realized just how hard he was. He moved one of his hands upwards from my waist, spearing that hand through my hair, around the back of my head, angling me towards him even more. His mouth was insistent, but something inside me was like ice amidst the heat, still protecting me from fully feeling. It was the wall of defense I'd erected over a long time…even as I suddenly visualized that defense crumbling violently down.

He stopped and gazed at me through glittering eyes, speaking softly. "Leah…I can feel you holding back. You're shaking."

And I found that I was for some inexplicable reason. I wasn't cold. I was very warm... and tingly. I felt euphoric.

Then I remembered who was in front of me and I stiffened. He lowered his head and captured my lips again before I could pull away. I was caught between two worlds, defenseless and vulnerable, conflicting emotions making me dizzy. Without thinking, I moved a hand up to his chest and gripped a handful of his suit jacket opening my mouth just a little and sighing when his tongue touched my lips. My fingers tangled in surprisingly silky hair and I could feel myself arch wantonly towards him. He shaped the indent of my waist and hip to cup my buttocks and pull me even tighter into the cradle of his lap.

Jacob tore his mouth away from mine with a low growl of bodies were still plastered together and our breath came swift and uneven. He didn't take his eyes off mine as he reached one hand down between us. I felt his hand smooth up over my thigh, then between my legs, climbing higher and higher.

He was looking at me.…studying me, waiting for me to object. I didn't. I was just too far gone to care anymore. While his hand—

_(ring... ring... ring...)_

I felt the vibration of his cellphone before I heard the ringtone, gasping at the sudden stimulation. He stiffened violently, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a harsh breath.

I pushed his warm hand away from my thigh as I jerked away from him in his moment of weakness. I watched him pull the phone out of his pocket, never taking his eyes away from mine. Covering my mouth with my hand, I turned away and ran to a safe seat at the opposite end of the table.

He raked a hand through his hair in frustration, leaving it gorgeously unruly.

As I busied myself with my purse, he moved to the farthest edge of the room, speaking in low, urgent tones and casting glances my way every now and again. I picked up the contract and stared unseeingly down at the document. Suddenly an image broke through—Jacob standing right here in this room, holding me close, his hand between my legs. I remembered the way I'd throbbed and burned for that hand to go even higher, to where I ached. Where I still ached. I jerked so violently in reaction that the contract fell from my lap to the wooden floor, along with the white ceramic mug of lukewarm coffee I held in my trembling hands. With a cry of dismay, I bent down to pick it up carefully, thankful that the coffee hadn't spilled on the contract.

I was so engrossed in my task that I didn't notice that he had finished his call until his shadow engulfed me. I shot up quickly, stepping backwards and laying the contract back on to the tabletop. "That was... inappropriate." I said, my voice not nearly as assertive as I wanted it to be.

"But you still liked it." He said with a confident smirk, making me desire him and hate him with equal force.

"Who doesn't like a good kiss every once in a while?" I countered, regaining some strength in my voice. "I'm a woman, not a robot, Mr... Jacob." I said, mending my sentence at the glare that had arisen from my slip-up.

"I know that. But you're just angry because it proves what you've been hiding from yourself since we first met."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"You're not as frigid as you like to think."

"And that's where you're wrong." I grabbed the contract and signed my name sharply, adding a flourish at the end of my name. "There. I've signed this thing. But if you think you're getting any extra 'services' from me, you're dead wrong."

He started to say something, but a knock at the door interrupted him. I yanked it open and shoved the contract into the lawyer's hands, turning away to grab my purse from my vacant seat. I shoved past the stunned man in the doorway, blinking through my tears as I practically ran toward the elevator.

I wanted to kick something... Hit something... I needed to do something to get rid of this frustration I felt.

Throughout the years, I'd comforted myself with the knowledge that I just wasn't a sexual type of person. When I was a teen, I never concerned myself with the types of sexual activities my peers had. I'd felt nothing when my best friends and I watched ten minutes of a porn movie we'd found and promptly turned off when it got too gross. When they'd come to me with the tales of their first times and subsequent 'times' afterwards, it just never held any appeal for me.

In college, I'd had a serious boyfriend and on one clumsy, painful, and downright awkward night, I'd given him my virginity. Looking back on it, I was so detached from the reality of what I was doing. I just did it so I could get it out of the way and over with, sort of the way one would scratch a task off of a to-do list. There was no emotion to it, no love or passion. Just a foreign stretching, a few minutes of grunting and moaning (from him), and a sweaty, heavy collapse (also from him).

As I got older, I went on to try it a couple more times, even slightly enjoyed myself once or twice. But it just wasn't something I was interested in. And after my mother had died, caring for my father and throwing myself into work provided a very welcome, although grave, distraction from what my friends considered to be perfectly normal sexual interaction fit for a successful woman in the modern world.

But kissing Jacob was nothing like that. I'd come alive in his warm arms, feeling for the very first time the wanton passion that my friends had always told me about. There was no pretense in the way he'd taken me into his arms and kissed me. Nothing to prepare me for the feeling of his very hard erection poking insistently into my belly. In a few seconds, he'd blasted to smithereens the knowledge that I thought I had known for years.

Trust me to find that type of mind blowing passion with the one person who was threatening my very livelihood. The one man in the world I should hate more than anything. And I just threw myself at him, willing prey in the darkly glittering eyes of a predator. Instead of a respectable real estate agent, I felt like I was a common street whore.

I'd just made it to the elevator when I felt a hand on my bare shoulder. The warm, all-knowing touch alerted me to who it was before I even turned around.

"What?" I rasped sharply, trying to shove his hand away from me, afraid of the feelings that simple contact was stirring within me.

"No one runs from me." He replied, sounding annoyingly unruffled as I'd felt. "That was embarrassing."

"Well get used to the feeling." I shot back, furious at his imperialistic attitude. "You wanted me, and this is what you've got."

"You know what...?" He put both hands on my shoulders and spun me around to look at him. "You're right. I wanted you. Now I've got you. But I'll be damned if you're going to continue like this when we're together."

I heard the elevator door slide open behind me. Although I thought I really wanted to, I couldn't shake myself from his grip or his heavy gaze.

"I don't care what kind of spin you put on what happened back there, I know what I felt. I still want you and that's why I'm doing this." I opened my mouth to protest and her cut me off with a glare. "Call me ruthless, call me a bastard, call me anything under the sun, it won't change a damn thing. I see what I want and I do what I can to take it, no matter how crazy my methods may seem. Right now, Clearwater, you are what I want."

I sucked in a breath to say something, but he charged on in the same impassioned voice.

"But I refuse to embarrass myself by falling at your feet. When you come to me, it will be on my terms and trust me sweetheart, you're not going to object when it finally happens. So until you can stop playing these ridiculous games, I'll keep this arrangement going for as long as I see fit."

"What?" I gasped out, my heart and stomach leaping to my throat. "What does that mean?"

"It means that the moment we sleep together, the moment I'm satisfied with what you have to offer me, I'll let you out of the contract. You and your father will continue with your lives safely and I'll go off on my own way."

"That's... That's... That's barbaric!" I protested weakly, still not believing what I was hearing. "It's so ruthless."

And it was also sort of a major turn-on, but I wouldn't let myself reflect on this fact until much much later.

"It may be, but like I said, I don't care. You signed the contract." He looked past me and loosened his fingers from my shoulders to press the button on the elevator. The doors opened instantly and I felt strangely detached as he pushed me through the door, not stepping in himself. He reached around and pressed the button for the garage and as the doors closed slowly, he gazed down at me.

"Remember, this will last only as long as you allow..." He said as a final warning, the words echoing in my head long after he strode away and the elevator doors closed on his powerful back.

Leaving me alone with shattered thoughts and emotions in the confined space of the elevator cab.

* * *

><p><strong>JPOV<strong>

_(Three days later)_

I glared out of the small window near my seat as we took off, throwing down the financial papers I was supposed to be reading. I just wasn't in the mood to do anything but sulk. Today, my main focus was not on business; it was on something much more personal and closer to home. On something so exquisitely feminine and alluring that I didn't know how I'd managed to control myself for the past weekend and not go back to that big, homey house of hers, knock down the door and take Leah hard and fast, before she could draw up that injured virgin response again. I could still feel the imprint of every womanly curve as I'd held her close to me. She'd been more lusciously voluptuous than any fantasy I would have had.

Across the table, Leah sat across from me, concentrating on her laptop and a stack of work-related papers, her glasses sliding slightly down her nose. Gripping my water bottle tightly, I took a sip, careful to keep my eyes on her face. She was was dressed simply today, nothing like that sexy green dress she had worn to the lawyer's office: a black jacket, a white t-shirt and tight fitting skinny jeans with demure suede flats. Her hair was scraped severely from her face, secured in a long ponytail.

If she thought she was putting me off of her, she was wrong. If anything, it made me more determined to have her, to pull off each layer of concealing clothing like a valuable, carefully wrapped gift. The glasses she had firmly anchored to her nose did nothing to help the painful predicament currently housed in my jeans.

_"Mr. Black..." She'd drawl, her words caressing my name like fine chocolate melting on the tongue. "Your book is long overdue..." She'd give me a tantalizing smirk and run her fingers through my hair, her sweet breath fanning my face as I took her into my arms..._

I shook away that fantasy and sighed roughly, which gained me a confused look from her. I shook my head and she shrugged, moving on to her work as if there weren't an interruption to begin with. Her apparent indifference was starting to piss me off.

Did Leah seriously expect us to live together in close proximity as a couple and not explore the possibilities of the desire we obviously felt for each other? I could see that she did. That sharp gaze was clear and determined every time our eyes met. She really thought she meant what she said about her aversion to sex, I realised as I took in the set of her mouth and the determined tilt of her chin. Leah tried her hardest to firmly set down the terms of our arrangement, making it perfectly clear that the financial security I offered she and her father was all that interested her. That I would have to look elsewhere if I wanted to satisfy my physical 'needs.'

I intended to break that resolve. She needed to realize that someone as responsive and passionate as she was had no business not being sexually active. It just wasn't done. It was a crime against mankind.

And she had wanted me. I felt her melt in my arms and I was sure I didn't imagine the moan that had slipped past her willing lips when I ran my hand over her silky thigh. I was so close to what I wanted when my phone rang. I could have killed Seth.

I couldn't begin to understand where her reluctance came from. No woman was reticent with me; I saw, I desired, and I took. It was quite simple and always had been. An alien and uncomfortable feeling nagged me as I acknowledged the dominant feeling I'd had the other night. I'd felt ruthless as I'd coaxed and cajoled a response from her. When she'd finally capitulated, even for that brief moment, it had been a sweeter conquest than any victory I could ever remember.

I didn't usually become ruthless with women—that was reserved for business and my male colleagues—and the fact that such a base emotion was spilling over into my personal life was disconcerting.

With a sharp sigh, she closed her laptop and gathered her papers, placing them carefully into her bag. She stood up and slung it over her shoulder as she moved on to the couch in the corner of the jet, setting it down with deliberately slow movements.

"Are there any blankets on board?" She asked hopefully. "I was hoping to catch a couple hours of sleep before we landed in London."

"Cabinet by the bathroom." I muttered, getting up to get it for her. I may have been aroused to the point of pain by just looking at her, but I was still a gentleman. I found a burgundy blanket and passed it to her, watching as she slid off her jacket and shoes, snuggling into the couch and the blanket. Now that I thought about it, her movements were slightly sluggish and there were slight bags under her eyes.

Good, so we were both the products of some sleepless nights. Served her right.

"I suppose you'll wake me up when we land?" Leah looked at me uncertainly, maybe instinctively knowing she had displeased me in some way, but not allowing herself comment on it. I gave a sharp, succinct nod and turned away from her, the slight sound of the blanket and her heavy, tired sigh telling me that she had turned away from me also. Ten minutes passed before I allowed myself a peek.

She had fallen asleep quickly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically in sleep. Her features were relaxed and peaceful, betraying an innocence that I knew she didn't have. There was no sign of the tension that held her body when she was awake, the fire in her eyes when she defied me. She looked magnificently beautiful when up and about, but held a softer beauty when asleep and dormant. I remembered the taste of her lips on mine and the wanton way she'd plastered herself closer to me.

I wanted Leah Clearwater and she would pay for making me desire her by giving herself up to me, wholly and without reservation, until I was sated and could move back into the circles in which I belonged. I would be ruthless, and take what she offered me, dropping her without a second thought when I was finished. I needed to be in control, craved it so much where she was concerned that it was painful. I wouldn't let her or any woman get to me.

I vowed this now, as I gazed out of the window into the night sky.

Leah Clearwater would be mine...

* * *

><p><strong>Awww... Poor Jake. If he doesn't get it by now he never will. I hope he never quits his day job. It's a good thing he's hot. <strong>

**How long do you think they can hold out? Who will cave first? **

**Only time will tell. Methinks things are about to get interesting.**

**As usual, READ AND REVIEW!**


	4. Adjusting

**EXAMS ARE OVER! Thanks to everyone who wished me good luck. You'll be proud to know that I finished the semester with 3 As, 3 Bs, and 1 C. Well, you can't win 'em all. Who needs Earth Science anyway!**

**In celebration of summer and passing the year, I've been typing like crazy. I have two new stories lined up to publish: one is a short and sweet three shot, the other a story I've been working on for a while. I'm putting the finishing touches on a steamy lemon in Misery Business and I have new chapters of Something About You, Naughty Neighbors, Playing Fair, Hell Hath No Fury, and Kill Me Now nearly ready for my best friend/cousin to edit.**

**Just a little something I've been cooking up to thank all the people who supported me and my erratic updating this year. As an avid fanfic reader, I know exactly how it feels to wait and wait and wait for your favorite story to be updated. I'm just happy I have people waiting for **_**me**_** to update my stories. It makes me feel all happy and special and shit. **

**Okay, enough with the rambling, on to the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Adjusting<strong>

**LPOV**

_He reached out a hand and slid his fingers through my hair, holding fast my nape as he angled his head and closed his mouth over mine. Evocative, intensely sensual, he played me with shameless ease, tasting the soft inner tissues, probing my tongue with his own, teasing, until I moaned in response, puckering my lips for more._

_Wake up!_

_Wake _up!

Wake up!

"Dammit, Clearwater, wake the fuck up!" My eyes flew open and I shot up out of shock. Jacob was standing over me, arms folded in impatience. He had obviously been trying to wake me for an long while.

"That was so unnecessary..." I mumbled, running a hand through my hair and frowning when my fingers caught on a couple of tangles near the crown of my head. Throwing the soft, warm blanket off of myself, I swung my legs off of the couch, looking up at him. "How long was I out for?"

"Oh, I don't know..." He made a show of checking his watch. "Three hours. But we're going to land soon, so I decided to wake you up." He frowned at me. "You know, in case you wanted to freshen up or something."

Only pride made me keep my composure enough to scowl at him, but when he turned away I pushed another hand frantically through my hair, smoothing it out again. Then, as suddenly as I'd began, I stopped. I didn't have to impress him. But I still didn't want to get off of the jet looking like he just dragged me in off the street, and that thought alone made made grab my purse and move to the bathroom.

After finishing my business, I glanced at myself in the mirror, cringing when I realized that the state of my hair was a lot more dire than I'd thought. I grabbed my brush out of my purse, ripped my tie out of my hair and got to work.

To be honest, when I'd gotten ready that morning, I dressed with the intention of being as low-key as possible. I didn't even put on any make-up at all and didn't think to wrestle with my contacts, opting for my glasses instead. It was all in the hopes that he'd take one look at me and regret whatever thoughts he had regarding a sexual relationship between us.

No such luck. The heated look he'd given me this morning was enough to tell me that I'd failed miserably. It almost seemed as if he wanted me_ more _because of it, which was most definitely not my intention.

But despite the company I was forced to keep, the jet was very nice. It really was true what they said. Being rich really opened doors for you. Even though I was tense from sitting so near him for that long period of time, I was still apt enough to fully appreciate my surroundings. The general area of the jet was ridiculously large, with a plush living room like set up, a nicely sized bathroom, and even a small kitchen. There was a super high-tech looking entertainment area complete with a computer, a printer, and WI-FI.

When I first caught a glance at our traveling accommodations, I tried not to look so overwhelmed. Just thinking about the fact that he _had _a private jet made me break out in a cold sweat. It just proved how separated we were and made his behavior that much more confusing.

It wasn't like I was not used to nice things. I might be frugal by nature, but I liked nice, quality things that lasted so I got my money's worth.

Take my clothes, for instance. I didn't have a large wardrobe, but I bought as many nice clothes as I could. Not the latest fashions by the top designers, -I couldn't afford that- but well made dresses and suits, camisoles, and real silk and satin shirts in mix and match colors for work, many types of comfy satin nightwear, a few nice evening gowns for various business dinners, genuine leather shoes and bags. My jewelry was minimal, all off it kept in a small box in the back of my underwear drawer, but not too expressive because I only really preferred silver and gold over the flashiness of shiny, expensive gems. My only real indulgence was undergarments. There were a few shops I knew that sold very nice, quality lingerie on a budget and I took advantage of the few sales they had offered. I used to wonder why I even bothered, seeing as there was no action under my clothes to begin with.

Guess that's going to change now...

Having brushed my hair through, I decided to leave it loose around my shoulders and down my back, admiring the way my braided ponytail had left if wavy. I tossed my hair tie into my purse and was glancing at my silver watch when I left the bathroom.

"Hey, do you know what time it is? I have to reset my wat-" I looked up and stopped speaking when I saw the look he was giving me. I raised a brow when I saw my cellphone in his hands. "Why do you have my phone?"

"It buzzed... Your dad was sending a text... At least I think he was..." He said, giving it to me. I glanced at the badly composed text message and regretted not teaching him how to control the buttons. I tried my darnedest to decipher it, and finally concluded that he had made it to Forks safely.

"It's a text. He told me that he made it back to Forks okay." I said, thinking of the abundance of fish I would have waiting for me when I got back home, thanks to he and Charlie Swan's infamous never ending fishing trips. I grimaced and adjusted the time on my watch.

"Why'd you send him to Forks?" Jacob asked me as soon as we were strapped in for landing.

"He needed a vacation. He's staying with a friend of his until I get back." I replied, fishing a magazine out of my bag to read, hoping he'd get the memo that I didn't want to talk at all. I flipped it open and kept my eyes trained on an article about make-up, feeling his eyes burning into the side of my face.

"Well, I hope he enjoys it." He said, a dangerous undertone in his voice telling me not to push him any further. I knew that I was going to be walking on eggshells around him for the duration of my stay and was not looking forward to it at all.

Even though I'd wanted the landing to last longer than it had, it went smoothly and quickly as planned. The flight attendants peeked out from the kitchen, smiling fondly at us sitting together as if we were a young and in love young couple.

How wrong they were...

When it was safe to leave the plane, I unbuckled myself and stood to grab my bag flinching when I felt his warm had grasp my arm. "Remember what I told you: No funny business. If you even hint to anyone why you're really here, you'll be shipped back to the States faster than you can blink and your father in a jail cell rotting before your feet touch the ground. Clear?

"Crystal." I spat through gritted teeth, wrenching my arm from his grip. I grabbed my bag and waited for the doors to open as far away as I could.

A futile effort as he strode over to me and took my hand. "We've gotta keep up the charade." He didn't seemed pleased at all. Well, the feeling was mutual. Then he glanced down at my angry face and smirked coldly. "But it's going to be worth it when I get what I want."

"Yes, I know. The great Jacob Black always gets what he wants, even if he has to get it through..." I paused meaningfully, taking in his darkening features with a bitterly smug satisfaction. "Whatever means possible."

"Leah..." He mumbled dangerously as a warning.

"Yes Jacob?" I replied sweetly, then turned away as the doors slid open and a staircase was rolled beneath it. "Oh look. It's time to go."

He looked close to attacking me, and I took that opportunity to paste a sunny smile to my face, a facade for the benefit of his private jet staff. As we glided down the stairs, he put an arm around my shoulders and pressed his lips close to my ear, a smile nearly identical to mine on his face.

"This is going to be so much fun..." He breathed, sending shivers down my spine. I pulled away and laughed, which sounded a bit hysterical in my ears. Balling my arm up into a fist, I punched his arm. To anyone else, it looked like I was lightly tapping him for a rakish comment. No one but me saw the sliver of pain in his eyes and the warning look he flashed me.

"Don't remind me... Sweetheart." At that moment, a valet delivered his fancy car to the runway and we loaded our luggage. We exchanged a look of challenge as we climbed into the front seat of the car. The moment I closed the door, he peeled out of the runway as fast as humanly possible, his white knuckles on the gear shift the only indication of the tension that was between us.

These coming weeks were going to be hell...

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><p><strong>THINGS ARE HEATING UP! I'M SO EXCITED I COULD SPIT AND KICK A TRASHCAN!<strong>

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	5. Lighting A Fire

**I'M. SO. SORRY!**

**Literally right after I published the last chapter, I was busy nonstop. I took a class at the local college, I redecorated three rooms in the house, I had to fill out scholarship essays, I had to visit most of my family out of state, there were pool parties and birthdays to go to, school shopping, and to make up for all those trips, I had to work ten bazillion double shifts back to back in order to get my regular pay. **

**Needless to say, I was hugging my freaking pillow every night.**

**But now that I'm back in school (and have two study halls, SCORE) I'll be more diligent at getting chapters out. For some reason, my creative juices flow better when I'm in a classroom. Whenever I'm in my room, all I wanna do is watch True Blood and read trashy romance novels.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Five: Lighting A Fire<strong>

**LPOV**

It turns out that there is something much more awkward than dinner and a movie with an _ex_-boyfriend. Sitting in a close, confined space with a ridiculously gorgeous man who just happened to be your worst enemy at the moment is the very epitome of awkward. Throw in obvious sexual attraction, emotional and financial blackmail, and silence thick enough to make a convent of monks jealous, and I found myself downing a huge cocktail of Discomfort.

Even though I'd promised myself to keep my eyes firmly out of the window, the way he was driving made the quickly passing landscape almost nauseating to look at. I refused to embarrass myself by throwing up in his fancy car, so I turned away and chose to keep my eyes firmly ahead. But eventually, I got curious as to where we were going.

"Where are we going?" I asked, conscious of the speedometer needle slowly rising upwards. It still threw me how slowly it was taking me to get used to the roads of Europe, where everyone drove on the opposite side of the road. I figured I get over it soon enough.

"Penthouse. Near Hyde Park." He replied, his voice blank and giving nothing away.

I was trying to seem sophisticated, like that news didn't phase me. But when I finally registered what he had said, my mouth dropped open unattractively. I think I drooled a bit. Hyde Park meant expensive real estate... Very expensive real estate. I cleared my throat and shrugged nonchalantly. "That sounds nice. Where will we be going next?"

"Monaco. Next week. We're going to be visiting some friends of mine." He flashed me a sardonic half-smile and raised a brow mockingly. "Unless you'll be back in the States by then."

Asshole. If he thought I'd cave first, he had another thing coming. I was going to be such a thorn in his side that he'd be begging me to leave. And the beauty of that plan was that I'd leave with my pride intact, having toured and explored exotic places on someone else's dime. Oh yeah, I knew I was being selfish and vain, and dare I say it, sort of a gold-digger. But that was the price I had to pay. I wasn't that much of a whiny idiot that I didn't see the positives to this situation I'd found myself in.

Pros: touring the world with a gorgeous man, seeing the exotic places I'd always dreamed about exploring, eating the best food, living the high life, networking with his rich friends, and shopping until I fainted from exhaustion.

Cons: the aforementioned moody gorgeous man, constant bickering and sniping, and the ever present tension (sexual and not) between us.

When I thought about it in business terms and removed myself emotionally, it made the situation seem more lucrative than ever.

And since I'd taken off at least a month, I knew I could probably get at least a good amount of pictures to bring back for my father. Sure, I'd have to do a good bit of walking, but when opportunities like this come so suddenly to me, I'd be crazy not to take advantage of it.

"What are you smiling about?" Jacob asked as the city came into view. I wasn't even aware of the small smile that curved my lips, but I knew that I'd felt better about this than I had since I agreed to the whole proposal.

"Oh nothing. Just happy to be in a foreign place with such... Enchanting company." I replied, my smile growing wider when he caught the thinly veiled insult in my words and grimaced.

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><p>"Wow. I like it." I said, taking in the spectacular nighttime view through the floor to ceiling windows in the apartment. "This is amazing." I dropped my suitcase and purse and ran to the window, taking in the pool and jacuzzi on the balcony through the glass. "It must have cost a fortune."<p>

"Not really. I just bought it at a good time and let my sister do whatever she wanted with the decorating." He replied, brushing past me to pick up my suitcase. I barely had time to grab my purse and laptop bag when he started walking away into a hallway, obviously taking for granted that I'd follow him.

"You _are_ taking me to a guest room right?" I said warily, aware that he was probably bold enough to try something stupid. It wasn't that I was scared, but just in case, I had a can of pepper spray on the ready in my bag.

"Yes, Clearwater. I meant it when I said I wouldn't touch you." He seemed insulted, but I couldn't find it in myself to care for my immense relief. Even more so, I couldn't find any words to say in response. Forgoing a witty reply, I just nodded and tried to look anywhere but him. Luckily, we stopped at a door not far from the living room and kitchen. "This is your room."

He pushed open the door and led me inside. The room was impressive, decorated in sharp blacks and clean whites, with a burgundy accents. The king-sized bed lay on a raised platform to the left of a huge window with an impressive view of the city. Two small nightstands sat on both sides of the bed, each containing a small, burgundy was a small black desk in front of the bed, on the wall nearest to the window, perfect for holding my laptop.

"The bathroom's right there." He said, pointing to a door directly left of the bed. "And the closet is right there, but you can use this big... thing." He opened the door to a gorgeous oak armoire and placed my suitcase inside. "The extra bed stuff is in this drawer and there are more pillows in the closet if you need them."

"Thanks." I murmured, taking off my jacket and sitting on the bed. The mattress sunk in a way that indicated it would be soft and fluffy and comfy when I finally slept in it. "This is fine."

He was quiet for a long while, just staring at me speculatively. Then he spoke.

"It's not that late. If we hurry, we can probably go out to eat at a place nearby." He said, looking at his expensive watch while I contemplated that. "If you'd like, I mean."

"Is there anyway we can stay in?" I asked. I wasn't really very tired because of the nap I'd had on the jet, but I didn't want to pass out from sudden Jet Lag in the middle of a fancy London restaurant. "I could cook or something."

I looked away and winced at how domestic we sounded. So far from the truth, it was sad.

Jacob must have had the same idea, because he gave me another one of his speculative glances. "Today isn't the day for the housekeeper to restock the fridge. If you can make something edible out of water, baking soda, and salt, go right ahead."

My face felt hot and I looked up to chew him out for being such a dick. "Listen, it wa-" I realized her was smirking. Not meanly or evilly like all the others, but a nice smirk.

He was teasing me. I felt the tension ease from my shoulders and smiled back. I could handle this.

"No. I can't." I continued. "So eating out sounds fine." Moving to my suitcase, I pulled out one of my favorite shirts and my toiletry bag. "Let me shower really quick, and I'll be out in a jiffy."

His lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh. I cringed when I realized what I had said. _Jiffy? Seriously? _I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and acknowledge my extreme faux pas.

"You can laugh." I said, crossing my arms and raising a brow.

To his credit, he sobered immediately and shook his head.

But the moment I closed the door on his retreating back, I could have sworn I heard a low chuckle fading away as he walked to his room.

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><p><strong>Horrible, I know! I'm kind of regretting having them travel to various exotic locations (the places I've always wanted to go but never had the time or money) because figuring out time zones and how to fit them in is as much of a bitch as having writers block.<strong>


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